President Biden has pledged to take action in response to a drone strike, attributed to Iran, that resulted in the death of three U.S. service members and left at least 34 others wounded. The number of wounded may fluctuate, according to U.S. Central Command.
The drone attack targeted American troops stationed at Tower 22, a support base in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. The strike is believed to have hit a barracks, causing injuries ranging from traumatic brain injury to spinal injuries and shrapnel wounds among the service members.
Tower 22 supports the Al-Tanf Garrison in southeastern Syria, where U.S. special operations collaborate with other nations in combating Islamic State militants. Approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the base.
Central Command confirmed that at least eight service members have been evacuated from Jordan for higher-level care and are in stable condition. This marks the first fatal attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7.
Iran has denied involvement in the drone strike, while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition supported by Iran, claimed responsibility, citing it as revenge for U.S. military presence and the Palestinian death toll in Gaza.
The group claimed attacks on four military bases, including three U.S. bases in Syria and on the Syrian-Jordanian border, and one Israeli base. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin referred to the deployed service members as “brave Americans” working towards the lasting defeat of ISIS.
U.S. Central Command is in the process of notifying the families of the affected service members. Approximately 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, primarily focused on combating ISIS. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Iranian-linked forces have carried out over 140 attacks in Syria and Iraq.
In a previous incident this month, U.S. military personnel were evaluated for traumatic brain injuries after Iran-backed groups launched missiles on an airbase in western Iraq. Additionally, in December, a drone strike in northern Iraq injured three U.S. service members, leading to retaliatory airstrikes by the U.S. against militant facilities.